Samuel Clottey, Founder and CEO of Sam Creatives, has called for a permanent football structure to be established around the Black Stars, saying Ghana must move beyond short-term solutions and build a national team capable of competing consistently.
His comments follow Ghana’s poor start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with the Black Stars losing 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire in Bouaké before suffering a 4-2 defeat to The Gambia in Accra.
Ghana had taken a 2-0 lead against The Gambia through Ernest Nuamah and Felix Afena-Gyan but surrendered the advantage, leaving the Black Stars without a point from their opening two Group C matches.
For Clottey, the results should prompt a wider discussion about the future of the national team rather than simply another change of coach.
He believes Ghana needs a long-term technical structure with a clear football philosophy, proper scouting and a pathway linking youth development to the senior team.
“We need to stop starting all over again whenever there is a change of coach. There must be a permanent structure for the Black Stars, with a clear football philosophy and a plan that can be followed over a number of years,” Clottey said.
He pointed to former Black Stars stars such as Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, Asamoah Gyan and Tony Yeboah as examples of the quality Ghana has produced.
Clottey believes the challenge now is to create a system that can consistently identify and develop players of similar quality.
“We have produced players like Essien, Appiah, Gyan and Yeboah. The question now is how we create the environment to consistently produce players of that quality,” he said.
He wants Ghana to strengthen its scouting network, with players in the Ghana Premier League and those developing abroad monitored throughout the year.
Clottey also called for a stronger connection between the youth national teams and the Black Stars so that promising players can be tracked as they progress through the different levels.
He said investment in grassroots football, coaching education and player development must also form part of the long-term plan.
According to Clottey, the Black Stars’ latest results should be examined beyond the scoreline. The collapse against The Gambia, after taking a two-goal lead, highlighted concerns about the team’s ability to manage matches under pressure.
He believes responsibility should be shared across the football system, rather than placing the burden entirely on the head coach.
“The coach is important, but the coach alone cannot build the future of Ghana football. The structure around the team must also be strong,” he said.
Clottey believes the immediate priority is for Ghana to recover in the remaining AFCON qualifiers, but he also wants the country to use the current situation to establish a sustainable system for the future.
For him, the goal should not simply be to qualify for the next tournament but to build a Black Stars team that can compete consistently across generations.
“Ghana cannot continue rebuilding the Black Stars from scratch every few years. We need a permanent structure and a proper pathway to build a solid team for the future,” Clottey said.
